The unglamorous life of an L.A. reporter

Police shootings and social media: Why some black people believe no one cares

For some African-Americans, videos of shootings have become a mental and emotional drain that underscores a persistent lack of empathy for people of color. Others say such videos are necessary to raise broader awareness and foster solidarity.

But when an officer-involved shooting of a black person hits the headlines, she’s learned to avoid social networks. The inevitable onslaught of graphic photos and videos, she says, causes her to spiral into a mess of anger, grief, and fear – as though she’s hearing of a death in the family over and over again.

“I’ve gotten to the point where I won’t watch anything,” says Ms. Gipson, an African-American doctoral student in communications at a local university. “That sounds very callous, but I can’t be sitting here thinking about this all day and be scared.”